The present invention relates to a turning bed i.e. a bed which can be tilted mechanically to turn the occupant from side to side. Turning beds are especially useful for persons who by reason of disability or age are unable by themselves to turn or move in bed, and so run the risk of contracting conditions such as bed sores, hypostatic pneumonia, or blood clotting. Moving such persons manually at frequent intervals is time-consuming and physically tiring for a nurse, and hence turning beds have been developed which mechanically turn the occupant, the turning being either carried out automatically at pre-selected time-intervals or controlled by a nurse.
A number of turning beds are already known in which the mattress of the bed, and a frame supporting the mattress, are divided into several parts, the parts being moveable relative to one another to turn the occupant of the bed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,740,906 discloses a multi-part mattress and frame; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,522,018 discloses a mattress and frame longitudinally divided into three parts, the central section of which can be tilted by a longitudinally-extending drive-shaft, the three frame sections being so linked that one or other of the side frame sections is tilted with said central section.